The food

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Light, vegetable-heavy Italian cooking enlivened with international ingredients (sesame, feta, miso), and a few classics like oxtail ragu gnocchi. A grab-and-go menu of hot (Roman-style pizzas, ratatouille) and cold (salads, mackerel escabeche) plates is perfect for Trinity Bellwoods picnickers. There’s also an impressive pastry program with doughnuts, zeppole and tarts, which are all made in house.

These lemon ricotta–stuffed squash blossoms ($10) are pictured with the Napoleon’s Cup, made with Pimm’s, Pineau des Charentes, lemon and 7Up ($10).

Cauliflower with a lashing of miso bagna cauda, served with roasted grapes. $10.

The drinks

A half-dozen variations on the spritz, and boozy but refreshing house cocktails, like the eponymous La Palma. Wines are mostly from Old World regions, with bottles starting at $39 (for a rose from Abruzzo).

The La Palma is a blend of Montenegro, Aperol, mint, orange and lime, topped with egg white. $13.

The space

Hutchison’s SoCal–inspired makeover of the space includes San Francisco-imported cement bathroom tiles, a slate green epoxy-coated floor and a copper-framed kitchen. “The copper highlights the heart of the space,” explains Hutchison. “It’s like one big dinner party in here,” says in her husband, Harding.

Madison van Rijn’s three-wall mural is made up of teal strokes punctuated by bolts of black and flamingo pink. Photo by Caroline Aksich